For Tomorrow
by fresitaazul
Summary: Some good news for Sam and Jack could mean very difficult choices that could change the fate of the Universe.
1. Chapter 1

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 1

TITTLE: "For Tomorrow"

CHAPTER: One.

AUTHOR: fresitaazul

RATING: OLDER TEENS for sexual situations and sexual innuendo.

CATEGORY: Angst/Romance/Friendship

PAIRING: Sam and Jack

RELATED EPISODES: Future, maybe season 10 or 11?

SUMMARY: Some good news for Sam and Jack could mean very difficult choices for the Universe's fate.

WARNINGS: language, sexual situations and sexual innuendo. Read further at your own discretion.

DISCLAIMER: The characters used in this story, DO NOT belong to me; I'm just borrowing them for fun. I am not gaining any money for this and don't expect to either.

FEEDBACK: Is always very welcome and appreciated, thank you!

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **

**This is my first story outside of the S/J only based plots I've written to far. I has been a bit of a challenge since I have off world situations and many characters involved. It is and will always be Sam/Jack centered, so don't you worry!**

**To my wonderful Beta Lennie, thank you for your constant interest and encouragement, as well as for helping me with grammar and ideas. **

**To my readers, thanks for taking the time to read my work. I hope you enjoy it! **

**Have fun!**

**-----------------------**

Major General Jack O'Neill walked down the Stargate Command corridors, thundering emotions fueling him. He cursed continuously as he entered the elevator that would take him to the base commander's office, and his fist hit the wall in anger and frustration. The heavy doors opened as he reached his destination, and a young lieutenant saluted the senior officer respectfully. The look on the older man's face was frightening, and as the gray-haired general continued his determined fast pace walk through the corridor, the other turned to a short man who approached him, both watching as said general climbed up the stairs and out of sight.

"Isn't that General O'Neill?"

"Yes, I believe it is," Walter said.

"What's the matter with him? He looks like he's about to kill someone with his bare hands!"

Walter looked down to the files he held in his hands and took a deep breath. "I'm afraid he would if he could." The two men looked at each other and then walked in opposite directions, Walter following the angry general.

Jack knocked on the door in front of him once, and didn't wait for the occupant's permission to enter; he opened the door abruptly and stood close to the wide wooden desk.

"What the hell happened, Hank?" he yelled.

"Jack, calm down," General Landry replied, still seated on his chair, not too surprised by the other man's outburst.

"If you know ANYTHING about me, you know I hate to be patronized," Jack continued with a stern voice.

"I know a lot about you, and that is exactly why you will sit down and listen!" Landry watched the other man with careful eyes, as a silent pause followed.

With a murmured curse, Jack pulled one of the chairs and sat, his big hands rubbing his face hard and then ruffling his short silver hair. Finally, after a long and tortuous stillness, he looked up and focused his dark brown eyes on his fellow general.

"Colonel Mitchell and Dr. Jackson will be happy to brief you on the details of the matter at hand, but I want you to understand, Colonel Carter knew the stakes and chose to go ahead with the mission anyway."

"Yes, she did, didn't she? But what happened with the authority of the base commander? Did that have any weight in her going through with this madness?" Jack countered in a challenge.

Landry began to look more upset after the accusing comment but chose to ignore it, given the circumstances and the feelings he knew were involved. "I'm hoping you didn't just insult me on purpose, given the fact that you were commander of this place once, and you know more than anyone, the blonde colonel in question can make you change your mind quite easily."

Jack looked down, embarrassed at how much his own insecurity and fear was clouding his judgment. He shut his eyes for a moment and then looked up again. "Sorry, Hank. I…" He stopped and ran his hands through his hair once again. "Crap! She just…" he trailed off, not daring to finish the sentence with what his heart was telling him. Sam was the smartest, brightest, most capable officer he knew, but she was also stubborn, just like him. When she wanted something, she went out there and got it. He knew, deep down, she had made the right choice at the time. But at the present moment, that choice had turned out for the worse and they were faced with a more, complicated and difficult situation because of it.

Looking towards the room visible through the glass of his office and the people occupying the chairs, the SGC's commander turned to Jack one more time. "If you feel you are ready, we will meet the rest of SG-1 in the briefing room now." Hank Landry gave him a wary look, which Jack quickly understood. "They are upset too, you know? Please, try to listen."

Jack nodded briefly and stood, following the general into the room ahead.

Dr. Daniel Jackson, Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Teal'c, were sitting at the table, waiting patiently for Landry to appear from his office. Their faces were filled with concern and sadness, especially Daniel's.

Jack took a seat next to General Landry and looked at Daniel for a fraction of a second. He lowered his gaze then, trying his best to not let his personal feelings get the best of him again, and do what he needed to do as a two-star General and Head of Homeworld Security.

"Colonel Mitchell, General O'Neill would like to know what happened and how this regretful situation got so out of hand." Landry spoke in a steady but troubled voice. He did feel guilt for allowing SG-1 to undergo such a crazy mission, but after more than a year of running the secret base, he had learned that most of the time, the more idiotic the idea, the more they could get the right results, especially if that idea came from Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter.

Cameron Mitchell looked between Jack and Hank, his own eyes reflecting the angst he was experiencing. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard. "Sirs, with the help of the Jaffa allies, we learned that the Ori would be making an appearance on one of the planets in this galaxy, followed by an attack on Earth." He exchanged a look with Daniel, who sat in front of him. "Dr. Jackson, Colonel Carter told you first about her plan to prevent this two weeks ago, correct?"

"Yes, she did," the archeologist replied. "She found a way to make the devices we found in Camelot work; it seems it could be used to track down the Ori."

"Track them down?" Jack echoed.

"Yes. At first, I thought it was impossible. But then, she showed me how the technology could detect ascended beings and pin point their specific location, if needed."

"And just, how did she show you that, Daniel?" Jack pressed, his patience beginning to fade.

Daniel gazed at the older man and shook his head. "Jack, before you jump to conclusions like you always do…"

"I asked you a question, Daniel. I'm NOT _jumping_ to conclusions," Jack said, as he interrupted the other man hastily.

Jack and Daniel gazed at each other for a moment, until Landry continued. "Dr. Jackson, please answer the General's question."

"She proved it with_ me,_" the younger man responded, his eyes still locked with Jack's.

"Excuse me?" Jack said, confused. "With you? How? Last I checked, you are not ascended!"

"But I was… used to be… at some point."

Jack shut his eyes tight, trying to collect himself. Daniel could kill his patience quite easily, but he knew nothing good could happen if he exploded. "Ok.… so, I'm assuming there's some ascended… trace, left in you."

"Right. She was able to calibrate it correctly, so when Sam turned it on, I appeared on the hologram screen."

"Hologram… like with the out-of-phase device," Cameron added, explaining to O'Neill who looked very puzzled.

"The device in question was Merlin's, too," Hank Landry clarified to Jack. "We think he left behind a number of devices in his effort to destroy the Ori. And you know of course, this was done behind most of the other ascended beings' backs."

Jack ran his hands over his face and shook his head a couple of times, trying his best to understand where they were going with the extended explanation. "Well, thank God for good ol' Merlin, then!" He began to raise his voice then. "Now, we lost one SG team and our lead Stargate specialist has disappeared!"

The group was quiet, looks flying from one person to the other, until all of them were looking at Jack. Teal'c tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "O'Neill, no one in this room is to blame for the unfortunate results of ColonelCarter's plan. You know better than anyone we take risks in our efforts to fight our enemies."

"Yes, Teal'c, I know. But that doesn't mean we throw ourselves into the open wolf's mouth every time we think we have a brilliant, insane idea!" Jack replied, his voice firm and authoritarian.

"Really? Didn't we do that back in the day when the four of us gated to Apophis' ship, without knowing where we were going or what we would do to stop his assault on Earth?" Daniel replied, his own voice edgy and angry. "Or when we asked for Yu's help to defeat Anubis? Then, there was the time when you got your head sucked by the ancient download device and, once again, saved Earth from imminent attack? Or how about the time that Sam blew up a sun!" Daniel stood from his chair then, his eyes glaring at Jack with fury. "Our continuous success and your obvious approval and actions could've fooled me!"

"Dr. Jackson! Please, take your seat," Landry said, putting an end to what could be a bitter discussion between the two friends. "Jack, I understand the reasons behind your concern…"

"If you think I'm only worried because of my relationship with Carter, you are wrong, Hank," Jack countered immediately, his eyes still glued on Daniel. "This mission was a mistake from the get go."

Everyone turned to Landry, whose eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. His face turned red and he stood up from his chair with determination. "General O'Neill, I do not care for your constant criticism over my decisions or SG-1's, for that matter. The choice was made, and the inevitable happened. I advise you clear your head and put yourself together before I respectfully have to ask you to leave."

Jack shot him a wide look, his lips pursed tight. He knew he was screwing up, big time. He was also aware his emotions were getting in the way, but he couldn't stop them. With a final deep breath, he turned his attention to Mitchell. "So, Carter made the device work. Then what?" he asked, trying to continue on without confronting Landry any further.

Mitchell glanced at Landry for approval to continue. "Well, she briefed us on what she thought would be the perfect plan to destroy the Ori fleet before they made it here… an ambush."

"A plan we thought in every way could work," Landry added, looking sharply at Jack.

'_Not every way'_, Jack thought, but chose to swallow the words. Instead, he looked down to the table for a number of minutes. Without looking up, he sighed. "So you went to this planet, mingled with the locals, and got caught."

"The plan was to become part of the locals for a day or so, this to not raise any suspicions, sir. Colonel Carter needed time to locate all the Ori who were close to the planet to be able to trace them with the device and destroy them with the weapon. But one of the villagers was a spy for the Prior and he blew the whistle."

"Next thing we knew, the Prior was on to us and we had to gate out as quickly as possible," Daniel said and glanced at Mitchell and Teal'c. "Sam was gone by then."

"So, this weapon also kills the Ori?" Jack asked, trying his very best to remain objective and calm.

"No, sir. Sam needed to calibrate that device and the other weapon found in Camelot to kill the Ori. According to her, both devices had to be used together in order to work. Neither one had been tested, so all this was in theory." Mitchell shut his eyes because he had also thought the plan was flawed and incredibly risky.

Jack raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "So let me get this straight, you went to an Ori infested planet that was clearly a target, to TEST BOTH WEAPONS for the first time?" He turned to Landry, who was now looking down to the table.

"It was our only shot, Jack," Daniel said softly and defeated, his own guilt flourishing then.

"The only shot indeed, Daniel!" Jack was as enraged as he could get, so he got up and leaned his body on the table looking at Mitchell. "You left her. You left her behind!"

"Sir, with all due respect, I did not leave her behind," Mitchell said defensively.

"SG-3 pulled ColonelMitchell, DanielJackson and myself out against our will, O'Neill," Teal'c added, his eyes full of disappointment and guilt as well.

"She could still be out there!" Jack yelled to the group.

"She isn't, Jack. I'm sorry," came Landry's crushed voice from where he sat.

"We saw her go, sir," Mitchell replied before Jack could shoot another scream. "She… glowed."

Jack's face turned pale, his eyes empty and his heart stopping. "Did she…"

"Ascend? We don't know," Daniel completed for him.

"For all we know, either the Ori or the Ancients could've taken her, sir," Mitchell said.

"This can't be happening…" Jack said very softly, while both his hands grasped his face and he let his body drop to his seat once again; the others only heard him because of the deep silence that surrounded the briefing room.

"Jack, we'll find her," Daniel said as he stood from his chair and sat next to his ex-commanding officer, his friend, his brother.

The older man turned to look at the blue-eyed archeologist with lost, helpless eyes. "How, Daniel?"

There was no response then. Only silence and regret.

"I… should go," Jack finally spoke, standing up.

"Where?" Daniel asked with profound concern.

"Home. Her… home," he corrected. With a few long steps, he was out of the room and down the stairs, disappearing from view.

General Landry turned to Daniel with apprehension. "Dr. Jackson, would you…"

"I was planning on it, General," the younger man added and stood up as well.

-------------------------------

Jack stepped out of the car in front of Sam's house. It was 2200 hours and the place was pitch black. He had driven her Volvo from where she had left it parked at the mountain, the smell of her flooding his senses and drowning him more into his profound despair.

As he walked inside and switched the foyer light, he made his way into the house and looking to his right to the small table at the entrance, he found a white, long envelope addressed to her. It said it was urgent and it seemed that she had already opened and read the contents. He wondered if it had anything to do with the voice message she left him three days ago, before they embarked in the horrendous mission that resulted in her disappearance. She had said they needed to talk, that it was important, and she didn't want to do it on a voice mail or over the phone. Jack had been away visiting the Antarctica outpost and his phone had been out of range the entire time. They had not talked for almost a week, leaving mutual messages for each other. He hated that, he hated not communicating with her, and when he got word about the crazy mission SG-1 had left for, he had returned to Washington and called Landry. That was when he was informed Sam was missing.

Jack had been able to visit Colorado Springs four weeks ago, and he remembered their conversation the night before he left so clearly, he found himself expecting her to appear from the dark hallway…

_Sam was lying on her side, a strong, possessive arm surrounding her waist, caressing her stomach and belly button playfully. She turned her head slightly in search of his lips, and they stopped kissing her neck to attend her wondering mouth. _

"_Mmmm… I really like this, Jack," she said gently as the passionate kiss ended._

"_What, the kiss or the part of me that is now pressing against your back?" _

_She giggled and turned on her side to meet his face. "Both." She began to kiss his face with great detail; his eyelids, his cheekbones, his nose, his lips, his chin. "I like all of it. All of you. I'll never get enough of you."_

_He detected something different in her voice, so he pulled back a little to look into her blue eyes. "Sam, you ok?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been… thinking." _

"_Really? Don't say… I'm shocked, Sam. You thinking? No way!" _

_She laughed and shortly after, she shifted her body on top of his. "Jack, I want to ask you something. It's kinda important."_

"_Alright, shoot!"_

"_We've been together for more than a year now, we've known each other in every way possible for almost ten, and we both agree we have the most incredible sex imaginable."_

"_Oh, yeah!" he added, smirking and expecting her question with curiosity._

"_Marry me?" she blurted out._

_He blinked repeatedly and finally gazed at her. Her blue eyes were filled with expectation and hope and he also detected fear in them. "You're proposing, Samantha Carter?"_

"_Yeah, you could say that."_

"_Why?… I mean… huh?" He was confused. Very confused and astonished. _

"_I figured my two previous times were such a failure. I want our moment and our future to be right, just like this. Just like the past year and the ones yet to come."_

"_And you knew I was too chicken to ask you, huh?" he added._

"_Yeah… I guess," she said as she blushed._

_He watched her carefully for a moment. A wide, happy smile painted his lips then, and he claimed her mouth for a slow, wonderful and loving kiss. As they came apart, he caressed her hair and face with tenderness and brought her head closer to kiss her nose. "Yes, Sam. Let's get married."_

_She smiled as well, her eyes and heart filled with joy and peace. They made love again, joining each other as they always did, in the wonderful rhythm and dance that characterized their sexual connection. As they both climaxed and collapsed onto the mattress, he turned to her and whispered. "I love you so very much, Sam… so much, it hurts sometimes."_

_This declaration was shocking to her. Jack's emotions were continuously in check, never saying too much, not expressing more than necessary, especially with words. _

"_Hurts?" she asked, astonished. _

"_I…I'm sorry." He was now caught in a vulnerable situation and he hated it. His only way out was to tell her what had been haunting him for the past year, when she returned to SG-1. "I can't be there to protect you anymore." There, he admitted it. All that time, he had not intervened once on her career or decisions. He had remained afar, giving her the space she needed, because nobody could do her job better than Samantha Carter. _

_She looked into his brown depths and smiled tenderly. "Jack, I don't need you to…"_

"_You don't need me to, I know. But that's my instinct. Same as yours is to solve devices and explain difficult scientific theories."_

_A small laugh came from her, but soon died, as his eyes were very serious. "Jack. Our jobs, the Ori…"_

"_Yeah, it doesn't end, does it? The Goa'uld, the Replicators… it never will either." He was now bitter and he looked away from her._

"_What is going on, Jack?" She sat up to search his eyes as he stared to the window and into the night. "Look at me." Her hand grasped his face gently and pulled it toward her. "We'll be fine, you tell me that all the time."_

"_I lied. I'm more pessimistic than you think." _

"_Please don't say that." The happiness that filled her minutes ago was quickly gone. Now, fear and angst were resurfacing. _

_He sat up, ran his hands over his face and buried them in his hair. "I'm sorry, Sam. I just have a very bad feeling, what can I say?"_

"_Bad feeling? Come on! Jack O'Neill doesn't believe in that!" she tried to joke. _

_He turned to her as she sat next to him, her smile trying to stay placed in her lips and she looked at him. "What if something bad happens? What if destiny finally catches up with us and we fail?" _

_Sam was scared now. Could it have been her proposal that put Jack in such a horrible, dark mood? Thinking all of the sudden about the worse case scenarios? She felt guilty then. He was not one to be pushed, and maybe he needed to propose to her when** he** was ready. All that time, she had thought he was waiting for her to be ready, when maybe it was the other way around._

"_Jack, we don't have to get married if you're not sure. It's ok, really," she finally said, her words hurting as she spoke them, but with all the honesty she could handle._

_Jack looked at her apologetically and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh, no, Sam. Of course I'm sure! More than I'll ever be in my life. I'm sorry." His face nuzzled her neck and he kissed it. "I'm sorry." _

_She pulled back a little to look at him. "Then, why are you saying these things?" _

_He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm an insecure, old general, I guess?"_

"_You're not insecure," she said with a smirk. "And definitely not old."_

"_You sure you want to marry me? I'm a load of emotional baggage, if you know what I mean," he said in his usual self-deprecating way._

"_Jack, I don't need a piece of paper to justify how I feel about you. If I had to confess to anyone, I feel I've been married to you for a very long time. Load of emotional baggage and everything."_

_He looked at her with admiration and gratefulness. Jack felt his heart was beating at a faster pace than he thought would be healthy, but smiled anyway. "Y'know, I don't think I ever felt this way for anyone. Not even Sara."_

_Her eyebrows raised high, a surprised expression on her face. He never spoke of his previous marriage; it was a topic she considered off limits with him. _

"_I'm a complete sap tonight, so I might as well just open up, given it's our engagement night, right?" Jack cracked a smile, as she looked at him, speechless. "I loved Sara very much. But, the secrecy in my life put a strain on our relationship from the beginning. Then Charlie's death drew us apart even more. I shut down and she let me."_

"_Jack, I'm sure she would've wanted things to be different," she said sincerely._

"_Maybe. But it added to our already accumulated problems and pain." His eyes burned deep into hers and he leaned over to kiss her on the lips. "You know everything about me, Sam. All of it. I am vulnerable with you." She widened her eyes and breathed fast. He smiled and framed her face with his hands. "I don't care if I am. And the truth is, and has been for the past six or seven years, I would rather die than lose you."_

_Their eyes locked for a long moment, as he laid them back onto the bed, on their sides, facing each other. _

"_Jack…" she finally said, but he silenced her with a gentle finger placed on her lips. _

"_Shush… we'll be fine. I know it." He kissed her one more time as she smiled and turned to her other side, allowing him to spoon against her and hold her through the night. _

_When he heard her breath slow down and detected she was giving in to the inevitable need for sleep, he whispered in her ear. "I can't wait to tell everyone about how and when you proposed." A mischievous smile appeared on his face then._

_Sam giggled once again and brought the hand that had been placed on her belly to her mouth for a kiss. "Night, Jack."_

"_Night, Sam." He closed his eyes and fell asleep shortly after, when he was certain she had given in first._

A knock on the door brought Jack back to reality and he walked out of her bedroom, where his feet had taken him while lost in the memory.

"What the hell?" he said grumpily as he approached the front door and opened it fast. "What!" he grunted.

"Hey, Jack," said Daniel calmly, as he stood on the porch.

Jack watched him for a while. He didn't move from the door, nor did he invite his friend inside.

"Well, could I please come in?"

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Because, why?"

The younger man looked at the older one with a determined but sad gaze. He blew out a breath and looked down to his feet. "I know how you feel. I want to help."

"You mean, besides for the pity you and everyone else at the SGC feel for me?"

"Jack, stop being so childish and _listen_ to me for once in your life!" Daniel finally yelled, as his exasperation with his friend grew stronger.

Jack raised his eyebrows and opened the door wider to let the archeologist in. He walked to the kitchen and came back with two beer bottles, giving one to the younger man.

"Speak," Jack pronounced dryly.

"I talked to Sam before the mission. I suspect there is something else going on," Daniel drank a long sip of his beer and looked for Jack's reaction.

"Daniel, cut the crap! Go to the point or get out. I am NOT in the mood for your little guessing games tonight, alright?"

"She was hiding something." Daniel narrowed his eyes and looked at Jack with suspicion, as he ignored the other's outburst. "I think it involves you."

Jack's brown eyes were masked with his anger and deception. Daniel's gaze could not get through, so Jack took a long sip of his beer as well and sat down in a chair opposite to him. "What are you talking about?"

"She said things would change soon. In her life, she meant. She wanted this to be her last off world mission."

Mayor General Jack O'Neill was unbreakable when it came to revealing his feelings or his secrets. Sam and he had agreed to keep their engagement secret until both of them could tell their family in person, meaning Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie, and her brother. He was planning on traveling that weekend and getting the gang together for the official announcement. Now that Sam was missing, the thought of it made him sick. Daniel knew that, somehow, they were hiding something together. But, Sam had never mentioned anything about quitting SG-1, so this shocked him.

"Anything you can tell me, Jack?" Daniel asked as he watched his friend cautiously.

"Other than the fact that you're setting your hopes in the wrong direction? No. Nothing."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the younger man responded because he was prepared for that kind of answer from his old friend. "I think she's pregnant."

Jack spit the beer out of his mouth and stood up immediately. "WHAT!"

Daniel didn't respond. They looked at each other until Jack walked to the table where the white envelope sat and picked it up. He held it in his hands and looked back at Daniel before staring at it once again and beginning to open it quickly.

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 2

For disclaimer and rating information, please see chapter One.

A/N: Thank you all for sending such encouraging reviews! I've decided to post the second chapter today for all of you.

Like always, enjoy!

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Samantha Carter woke up with the worst headache she remembered ever experiencing. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, trying to focus her vision without any success. A very bright white light illuminated the room around her, and she looked down to check her clothes. "Damn it!" she said out loud. Someone had taken the liberty of removing her BDU's and had switched them for a lightweight white satin-like robe. She hated when that happened, she just wanted to know who had done it and why.

Of course, her weapons were gone, same as her radio. She tried to search the empty room for a door, a window, a way out...but nothing. There were walls surrounding her completely, white, bright walls, of a material totally alien to her. She touched the surface carefully, trying to guess the elements that composed it, and she figured it could be some sort of metallic amalgamation. The glowing part was throwing her off, and she wondered if it was all an illusion.

Trying to ignore the constant pounding in her head, she closed her eyes to remember the events before she awoke here. She had been working on both Ancient devices after she had located the Ori surrounding the planet, when they got word the Prior had arrived and they had to leave immediately. She asked Mitchell for more time, the calibration was almost there, and the weapon was beginning it's upload. Sam recalled the screams and fear of the villagers as the Prior closed in on her location, threatening everyone with his weapon. Daniel and Mitchell called her, but she ignored them. She was almost there, they had found a weapon that could kill their enemy, and she had promised herself she would go through with it, no matter what. Nothing would matter if they couldn't find a way to fight the Ori, they would inevitably reach Earth and kill them all. Without this device, there was no hope anyway, so she stayed behind and right before she could activate it, it happened. She was gone. That was the only word she could think of to explain it, because the next thing she remembered was waking up here, in a desolate, incredibly white room.

"Hello?" she began, hoping there was someone guarding the room from outside. "Anyone? Hello?" she asked again, raising her voice even more.

Nothing. Silence. She took a number of breaths, assessing her situation and searching for possibilities. Maybe the Prior caught her and sent her here. Or maybe she was transported to another planet by an ally? That was highly unlikely. Someone would've made his or her, or it's, appearance by then. When her next thought arose, she paled. Her hands went to her stomach immediately, and she closed her eyes as she tried to remain optimistic. "No, not dead. Not yet. I did not die like that. _We_ did not die like that," she said as she looked down to where her hands rested and smiled. "We'll be fine. I know it."

-----------------------------

As he closed the letter, Jack walked to the kitchen counter like a zombie. He searched the cabinets for a new Jack Daniels bottle, poured the amber liquid into the glass he held and gulped most of it's content all at once.

Daniel watched as his friend drank a second full glass of liquor and stood up from the couch. He approached him, served himself a full glass of whisky as well, and drank it. "I'm guessing I was right," he said, so softly Jack barely noticed his younger friend was standing next to him.

"Why…" Jack cleared his throat and swallowed some more liquor. "How did you know?"

Daniel finally met Jack's eyes and was stunned by what he saw there. He found a fear he had never seen in those brown depths. It was panic and hopelessness. Daniel knew Jack well enough to understand his friend was re-living Charlie's death, the vulnerability and guilt resurfacing once again.

"I don't know how. She seemed so… happy. So determined to make this a final, worthwhile mission," Daniel said, his own eyes gathering moisture. He closed them to block the tears from falling, as he tried to remain strong for his best friend. "She had returned from the infirmary and said she was scared, but happy. Like she never was before. I don't know, maybe it's because I've known Sam for so long, that I thought it had to be something different. Not the type of happiness she felt with new devices, or new technologies discovered. Not even the type of joy I could see in her eyes when she thought or talked about you." Daniel looked down and took another long sip of his drink.

Jack shut his eyes tight and poured himself another glass of whiskey. He walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, sitting on the couch in silence. Daniel followed him with his gaze and jumped in shock when Jack threw the glass against the mantle with full force. Then, he saw the older man's hands holding his head, sustaining the weight of it as he shook it from side to side.

"I should've known," Jack murmured.

The archeologist came around and sat on the sofa opposite him, giving his friend space, but letting him know he was there for him. "No, Jack. How?"

"I should've been there," Jack continued, obviously ignoring the other man's words.

Daniel understood Jack's constant need to protect them. To save them. To watch over them. That had been his job for years, and that was his reason for living. At that point, Dr. Daniel Jackson was out of words, he honestly didn't know what to say to make his friend feel better. So he sat there, in silence, drinking from his glass and waiting for Jack to make the next move.

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At a very early hour, Jack opened his eyes with great effort. He looked around and made out the form of a sleeping Daniel on the couch across from his. The bottle of JackDaniels lay on the floor, empty. He cringed and rubbed his temple, as the inevitable consequences of the previous night's liquor consumption began to take effect. Sitting up and walking slowly to the kitchen, he saw the letter on the table and memories of the night before returned. He picked it up and read it again. '_Positive_' The word flooded his head, repeating itself over and over. A sad smile appeared on his face, he wanted this more than anything, and he knew she did, too. He had to find her, find them. He didn't care what it would take, Air Force or not, he had to get her back - he was the goddamned Head of Homeworld Security, for cryin' out loud! And he was sitting around like an idiot passing out in her living room, while she was out there, somewhere, possibly counting on him to find her, to rescue her and their unborn baby.

"Crap!" he finally yelled, awakening Daniel from his sleep.

"Jack?" the younger man called, sitting up startled and rubbing his hands on his face.

"We gotta go. You comin'?" Jack asked, after returning from the bathroom and grabbing the car keys from the table.

"Yeah, sure… let me… give me five minutes," he said, and after using the restroom himself, both men left the house and drove to Cheyenne Mountain as fast as it was possible.

------------------------------

"Come on! Somebody!" Sam screamed again, trying to stay awake. She calculated she had been there for over a day, given that her watch was gone and she was unconscious for some time. When she finally sat on the floor, her knees touching her chest and her arms surrounding her legs, a beam of light appeared and a tall brunette took form in front of her.

Sam stood up immediately, taking a few steps back, but raising to her full height. She watched the person in front of her, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had fair skin, big green eyes, and long, curly auburn hair. She smiled kindly at her, but Sam took a couple more steps back.

"Don't be afraid, Samantha," the woman said gently, as she reached for Sam's hand.

"Y-you know my name. Who are you? Where am I?" Sam asked, as she looked at the woman's extended hand and then up to her eyes.

"My name is Mili'ah," the other responded calmly.

"Ok, Mili'ah, where am I?"

The woman smiled and remained silent for a long time. Finally, Sam walked closer and stared, still cautious of her.

"I get you're not going to tell me, right?" Sam continued.

Mili'ah nodded and smiled again, more brightly this time.

"Why?"

"It is not time. You will know soon enough."

"No. Tell me!" Sam yelled impatiently.

"Samantha, you must be patient."

"Listen to me, I was taken against my will more than a day ago; I need to know what you want! My people must be worried about me, and they will find me!" Sam said, tears beginning to gather in her eyes, but her strength kept them from falling.

The woman looked at her in amusement, watching as Sam lost her control and turned from her after her outburst. "They cannot find you, dear," she said simply.

Sam turned as those words were spoken, fear emerging in her expression. "Please, you can't keep me here. I'm…" But she stopped. Such revelation was not worth making, at least not yet. With all the strength she could manage, Sam walked closer to Mili'ah and challenged her with her gaze. "Look, I'm not scared of you, or whomever it is that you work with. I think you are underestimating me and my people."

The woman smiled again, not bothered or threatened by Sam's words. "Samantha, such confidence! It does not surprise me, though." Another bright smile illuminated the woman's face. "I don't expect you to be afraid of me, I know you. We all do." She gazed at her with the same strength and depth, as her smile widened even more. "I think it is you who underestimate me." And with that, the bright beam of light appeared, taking Mili'ah with her.

"NO! Wait!" But it was too late. With Mili'ah's disappearance, a bowl of what appeared to be food and a cup with water was left in her place. Sam ran her hands through her hair in desperation, and covered her face with her palms as she let her body fall to the floor once again.

------------------------------------

"Jack, what are you doing?" Daniel asked, as Jack reached the locker room and began to change into BDU's.

"What do you think I'm doing, Daniel?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and approached him. "I know what you're doing now. I'm asking, why? Where are you gonna go?"

"I'm contacting the Asgard," Jack responded as he put his vest on and began to tie his boots.

"Where?" Daniel continued, more puzzled than before.

"Daniel, quit asking stupid questions and change. You either come with me or shut up and leave!"

The younger man raised his eyebrows and shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no… not this time! You tell me where you are going, and how in the world you plan to call the Asgard… We haven't been able to reach them in months!"

Jack turned and glanced at the emotional face in front of him. He lowered his head and sat back on the bench, running his hands through his rebel hair. Daniel watched as despair took over his friend again, and he decided to sit beside him.

"Jack, you can't just run out of here like a mad man. I understand what you…"

"Do you really? I doubt that, Daniel." Jack gazed at him intensely and sighed. "Sam is lost. And she's pregnant. _Pregnant_. Now there are four options: one, she ascended, which I am praying to God is not it. Two, the Ori have her, I'm also hoping I'm wrong about that one. Three, the Asgard are responsible, the best option I'm considering at the moment. And four…" He froze then.

"She's not dead," Daniel finished for him. "You think this doesn't worry me like hell, too? Sam is like my sister! I want her back soon… alive! Her and the baby. But you are doing what you always do, Jack, you're shutting me out. You're shutting all of us out."

Jack looked away. With both palms, he rubbed his face desperately. "What do you want from me, Daniel?" he said exasperated.

"Work _with_ us. You're an amazing leader, Jack. The best I know. But you can't let your emotions rule you like this every time. Nothing good will come out of it, believe me." With a deep breath, he took off his glasses and held them in his hands.

Standing up from the bench, General Jack O'Neill headed for the door and held it open. "You comin'?"

The younger man watched him in disbelief. "Where, Jack?"

"Landry's office. We need a plan, right?"

Daniel smiled and stood up, as both men walked out of the locker room and headed to the base commander's office.

TBC…..


	3. Chapter 3

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 3

For Disclaimer and rating information, please see chapter one.

Like always, thanks to all of you for sending me your wonderful feedback!

Enjoy!

---------------------------

"Samantha," a voice said from afar.

Sam stood from the floor where she had finally given up in exhaustion. "Hello?" She waited, but there was no reply. "M-Mili'ah?"

The beam of light appeared once again, revealing the beautiful woman standing in front of Sam, a wide smile visible on her lips. "You must come with me now."

Before Sam could ask where or why, the same light transported her, landing her in a much larger and brighter room. She widened her eyes, her heart beating at an overwhelmingly fast rate, while her breathing also increased dramatically. Sam felt the room turn in circles around her quickly, and she passed out in the middle of the floor, while multiple eyes watched her fall.

Minutes later, when the blonde colonel opened her eyes again to the world around her, a young handsome man held her head from the floor. "Samantha?" he said gently.

She blinked with great effort and tried to free herself from his hold, but was unsuccessful. He smiled at her useless effort and caressed her face tenderly. "Why are you scared? We will not harm you."

W-why," Sam began, swallowing and trying to control her breathing. "Why am I here? Who are you?"

The man smiled again and looked up for approval at the group of people in front of them. Then, he looked back down at her and held her eyes with amazing emotion. "You are important. You and your child."

When he pronounced those words, Sam felt tears in her eyes. They knew, and that was more than likely a very bad thing. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said as determined as she could. Then, she pushed the man's hands off of her and stood up with the little strength she had in her. "You obviously have the wrong person. I don't have a child." Her eyes were fixed on the many forms sitting on a high, long bench at the front of the room. She calculated a total of about 25 men and women were watching her.

The young man stood up from the floor as Mili'ah came around beside Sam. She looked at her with compassion and sympathy. "Oh, Samantha. We know. We've known before you even suspected this baby was conceived. We've known about you and O'Neill for a very long time. This child is special."

Sam swallowed hard again, looking fearfully at the faces of the people present. "Who are you? You… don't seem like the Ori." Sam tried to divert the topic, as she questioned her captors.

After a very long pause, Mili'ah and the man joined the others on the bench, sitting in the center, as they looked down at her with joy. "We are the Furlings."

------------------------------

"Unscheduled off world activation!" Walter alerted.

Jack and General Landry exited his office immediately and met the rest of SG-1 in the control room. The lights in the entire base flickered for some time, shutting down and then stabilizing once again.

"Nice!" Jack exclaimed as he quickly made his way to the gate room. Landry and the others followed, Daniel and O'Neill standing closest to the ramp.

A gray small creature appeared from the event horizon and stopped a couple of feet from his spectators. "O'Neill, it is good to see you again."

"Thor! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Jack cried as he hugged the little alien tight.

The group looked at each other, shocked by the general's sudden display of emotion with the small creature.

Landry cleared his throat and glanced at Jack from the corner of his eye as he went back to his spot and rocked back and forth on his heels, hands in his pockets. "Thank you for coming, Thor."

Thor blinked once and tilted his head slightly, as he watched the faces before him. "General Landry."

The SGC commander nodded.

"I am aware of Colonel Carter's disappearance," the gray alien began. Then, he gazed at Jack with his big black eyes. "I am sorry, O'Neill."

"It's ok, buddy. I mean, now that you're here you can help us, and you can pay us back all those favors we have pending." The hope in Jack's voice almost made everyone in the room believe the small creature would get Sam back without a doubt. But given that the Asgard had been so distant, providing little help in the last couple of months, a dark cloud of pessimism hung over them all.

Thor looked down, avoiding Jack's eyes. "I am afraid I cannot help you, O'Neill. I am sorry."

Thor avoided Jack's eyes again, looking instead at Daniel. Then, the small alien approached Jack and handed him an Asgard communication stone. "The race that took her will not return her, O'Neill. I am unable to interfere with their actions."

Jack looked at the familiar white stone in his hand, tightening his grip around it as his alien friend ripped the hope away from him. "The race that took her?" Jack's voice began to rise. "They will not return her? What do you mean?"

The small alien watched as Jack's expression turned dark and menacing. He knew that expression very well, actually, and he expected nothing less from his human friend. "No, O'Neill. It was inevitable."

"WHAT WAS!" Jack yelled finally, his control completely disappearing.

"Her loss."

"We have NOT lost her, Thor!" Came another scream from the infuriated general.

Daniel tried to touch Jack's shoulder, but he shook it off, avoiding the archeologist's contact.

"O'Neill, the Asgard are very strict about our relationship with other races. We cannot interfere in their doings, especially this one."

"WHAT? How about the Goa'uld? Or the Replicators? You had no problem fighting and killing _them!_"

"This race is different. They are part of the four race Alliance," Thor revealed.

"Excuse me? Thor?" Daniel finally said.

"The Ancients have her?" Mitchell asked, afraid of the answer. If they did, more than likely it meant they had ascended her.

"No." Thor looked at everyone carefully, settling his glance on Jack's reddened face. "The Furlings do."

"The fuzzy, cute things?" Jack quizzed, irritated, surprised and in disbelief.

"I do not understand what you mean, O'Neill," Thor asked the silver-haired man.

Daniel shook his head and came closer to Thor. "The Furlings? Are you sure?"

"I am."

"Why is that a bad thing? If they are part of the four race Alliance, they should cooperate with the Asgard and let Colonel Carter go!" Mitchell countered in desperation.

"We cannot interfere, Colonel Mitchell." Thor looked at Jack one more time, then continued. "The Asgard, the Nox and the Ancients knew this day would come. It is your destiny."

"_Our _destiny?" Landry echoed.

The little creature bowered his head. "Yes."

General Hank Landry shut his eyes tight. With a fast glance at Jack, Hank tapped his shoulder and smiled faintly. "I think we should take this to the briefing room."

-------------------------

As the group was sitting down, quiet and troubled, Thor sat at one end of the table, Jack on one side, Daniel on the other. General Landry took the chair at the other end with Mitchell and Teal'c on each side.

"The superior race Alliance knew of Samantha Carter's fate since we first encountered you, O'Neill. It dates back to when you came to our planet many years ago, after your first Ancient knowledge download. On this, the tenth year of Earth's introduction to other worlds and the universe, you are now to become the Fifth race," Thor explained.

"If we are to become the Fifth race, why did the Furlings take Sam?" Daniel asked, as diplomatic and calm as he could.

"Because she carries the first piece of the beginning of the alliance," Thor then glanced at Jack, who had figured out what the piece was and was looking down at his hands.

"The baby," Jack murmured softly.

"Baby? Jack?" Landry asked in shock.

O'Neill looked up and glanced at Hank for a moment, then returned his eyes to his hands on the table.

"The Furlings were the last ones to join the Alliance, therefore, they have the responsibility of introducing the Fifth race to all the others and making it a permanent one."

Mitchell, who's eyes traveled from Jack, to Thor, to Landry, ran his hands through his hair and covered his face with them.

"If SamanthaCarter carries the first piece of the alliance, then for what reason are the Furlings keeping her, Thor?" Teal'c finally asked.

"Because her child with O'Neill is the bridge that will unite your race with the universe. It is the symbol of your new beginning and the start of your certain evolution." Thor paused, blinked and looked at Jack. "They must ensure the baby is born. If that child is lost, the integration of the Tauri into the Alliance will fail."

"So, they're gonna keep her until the baby is born?" Daniel asked in horror.

"Yes. Then, they will release her."

"And, how about the baby?" Landry continued.

"That I would rather not say," Thor answered, regretfully.

"What would you rather not say, Thor? Are they keeping our baby as a _prize_?... A _trophy_?... A SYMBOL!" Jack yelled, disgusted and angry.

Thor didn't respond. He nodded instead.

Jack pulled away from his chair, throwing the heavy piece of furniture to the ground. He hit the table hard with his fists and then ran his hands through his hair. "No. That will NOT happen. You and everyone else who believe this crap will have to kill me and Sam first."

"Jack…" Daniel began but was abruptly interrupted by the fuming and extremely resolved look Jack gave him.

O'Neill turned to Thor and leaned forward to where he sat. "You knew from the beginning." Jack shook his head and smiled bitterly. "You always did. You said you knew this would happen, and you let it be, Thor." He paused and closed his eyes in disappointment. "I thought you and I had a friendship going… a weird one, but still. It was something…cool, important." His expression hardened and his eyes revealed the anger and determination in his mind. "I have to ask that you make a choice here: you take me to wherever these Furling things have Carter and help me bring her back, or you leave here now and NEVER return. NEVER." He watched the gray creature warily. "Either way, I _am_ getting her back. Alliance or not, nobody will use Sam or our kid for a goddamned treaty. You understand me?"

"O'Neill…" Thor began.

"I am not consulting with my superiors about this." He looked at Landry and then at Thor again. "You can choose someone else for this race alliance crap, for all I care. I do not want to be part of it. Here on Earth, we do not sacrifice our people for a precious spot in this higher-than-life club. I don't give a rat's ass about it. Sam will return safe and we will have our baby here. Not with your, nor the Furlings, the Ancients or the Nox's _approval_." With another dangerous look, he leaned even closer to the alien and ground out, "This, Thor, is my final and only decision. You think about yours."

With a steady and decided stare, Jack hit the table one more time and left the room in silence. The others turned their eyes to Thor, who sat in visible shock, and Daniel could have sworn he saw a trace of sadness in the gray alien's face.

"Take me to your Stargate, General Landry. I must speak to the Asgard High Council immediately."

TBC……


	4. Chapter 4

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 4

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

Thanks again to all for reading and enjoying the story, and for sending me your reviews! I love to read them and know what you think.

------------------------------

Daniel turned the corner, walking blindly to his lab. As he reached his disorganized desk, he sat heavily on a stool and supported his head with both hands. Tears began to fall from his eyes, and he let them. The warmth of them on his face, represented the pain he felt after their Asgard friend's visit, and the excruciating exit of Jack O'Neill.

After leading Thor to the Stargate and watching him disappear through the blue puddle, Daniel had run after Jack, but he had already left the base. He tried calling, but his cell phone had been turned off. Obviously, his stubborn friend wanted to be alone, to drown himself in the grief and rage that invaded him. Daniel cried quietly for a while, until Mitchell knocked softly on his open door.

"Jackson?" the lt. colonel said.

The archeologist wiped his face quickly and blinked repeatedly to mask as much emotion as possible. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok. It's fine," Daniel assured the other man, as he gestured for him to enter the room. "Did General Landry get ahold of Jack, yet?"

The other man shook his head.

"Ah. I bet he's getting drunk somewhere," Daniel replied, with a sad smile.

"Should we… try to find him?" the other asked, worried.

"Believe me, if Jack doesn't want to be found, we'll waste our time trying to search for him."

"It's tough," Cameron Mitchell said after a while. "I know about his kid, Charlie."

The other nodded quietly and looked down to his hands. "Yeah, Jack's had a rough life."

"I can't even begin to comprehend what he must be going though."

Daniel was quiet again. Yes, he was very aware of what Jack's history was doing to the situation, and how he was probably blaming himself for it. "Jack won't rest until he gets them back, you know."

Mitchell looked at him for a moment and nodded. "I know. He's Jack O'Neill, right? No one is left behind."

The two men gazed at each other and then Mitchell left the lab in silence, as Daniel picked up his phone again, not giving up on his friend either.

-----------------------

"The Furlings?" Sam asked again.

"Yes," Mili'ah replied.

"What do you want from me?"

"We mean you no harm, Samantha. In fact, you are here to be protected," the other woman said, as she stood up from the bench and approached Sam once again. The others disappeared suddenly, and Sam looked around afraid they too would materialize by her side.

"P-protected from whom? Why? I don't _need_ your protection!" she yelled finally. After regaining her strength, Sam ran from wall to wall, hoping it would change into a window, a door, something. A way to escape the nightmare she was trapped in.

Mili'ah watched as the blonde woman ran across the room in desperation. She had watched over Sam for many years, and had grown to admire and respect her deeply. She saw the strong, intelligent, honest, compassionate human she had been advised she was, the moment she was given the assignment. Mili'ah had been there when her mother died, and when her father buried himself in his career even more after that; she had seen how Sam had grown up with the goal to accomplish anything she set her mind to, and to make her father proud; the alien had watched when the woman had joined Stargate Command and the infamous SG-1, the audacious team of explorers that would change the universe's future forever; Mili'ah had also witnessed the inner struggle the young scientist and colonel had gone through, hiding her feelings for the love of her life, the man who would become the father of her children, the one and only man who would love her, always. The tall brunette had been told about the human feelings she may develop towards them, the sympathy and respect she felt for the inferior race that had proven worthy of admiration and humility from the four major races.

Coming closer to the place where Sam stood as she hit the wall repeatedly but weakly, she placed her hand gently on her shoulder. Seconds later, Sam was standing in her bedroom, a dim light illuminating the form of a lonesome man sitting on the edge of the bed.

"J-Jack?" Sam cried, quiet tears streaming from her blue eyes. She ran to hold him, but passed right through him. He didn't even move from the spot where he sat.

"He cannot hear or see you, Samantha," Mili'ah pronounced afterwards.

"Am I… dead?" Sam said, fearing she would confirm her question.

"No, dear. You are in what you call, another dimension," the other explained, as Sam fixed her gaze on the man before her.

Sam was sure she had never seen such pain and desolation in Jack's eyes. He was frozen, pale. His eyes looked ahead to an emptiness she wished with all her heart she could fill.

Swallowing hard, Sam turned to the beautiful woman as the tears continued to fall, but she tried to contain with no success. "Please. Let me go."

"I cannot do that."

Shutting her eyes tight, Sam kneeled in front of Jack and watched him with sorrow and fear. She looked down to his hands, where he held something. She tried to make out the form of the object and realized it was a white box. From the shape of it, Sam assumed it was a ring box. Standing up, she walked to where Mili'ah was and watched her for a moment, begging silently for her freedom.

"I am sorry, Samantha, I cannot." After a small pause, she continued. "I know you well, and I am aware you have already discovered why you were taken by us."

"It has to do with my baby," Sam nodded, replying weakly, her eyes focusing on Jack once again.

"Do you want to know why?" the other asked gently.

"Why?"

"Because your baby marks the future of your race."

Sam eyes grew as wide as was possible. "WHAT?"

The other smiled calmly and looked towards Jack. "Your baby is the piece that will integrate the Tauri into the superior race Alliance. You will become the Fifth race because of your child."

"What does our baby have to do with our alliance with you as a race?" Sam was growing angrier as the reasons for her kidnapping became clearer.

"Your child is the symbol. Every race must make a big and significant sacrifice to enter the Alliance. It must be something that means a great deal to the individuals that have demonstrated their race is worthy of such privilege."

"You can't make this decision for us! You kidnapped me, and now plan on taking my baby on behalf of Earth for an_ alliance_?" Sam screamed, desperation and indignation evident with each word. As she shook her head and rubbed her temple for a moment, she turned to Mili'ah and stood inches from her, both women standing at equal height. "What if we say, **_no, thank you_**?"

"You cannot make that decision for your entire race, Samantha. By entering the superior races Alliance, we will defeat the Ori and the Wraith, amongst all the other dark powers in existence."

Sam's eyes filled with tears again. Helplessness invaded her entirely as the other woman made her feel like the most selfish being that ever was, for wanting to protect her own child.

"If you do not join us, the circle will not be complete and evil will dominate the universe at last. All the power that the Ancients, the Asgard, the Nox and the Furlings possess require the last piece that only the humans can provide to join as one and destroy them. We have waited for this more years than you can count, Samantha."

Sam sat on the white carpet of her bedroom. She breathed long and heavy, trying to assimilate what she had just been told. The lives of every single being in the universe depended on her and Jack giving up their child. For ten years they had fought their enemies, surviving with what Jack liked to joke, pure dumb luck. He, as well as, she knew better; their survival had depended on their will and determination, their true commitment and notion of justice and freedom.

"Why us?" Sam finally spoke, as she watched Jack cover his face with both hands.

"Because you and he have made sacrifices of your own for many others. That kind of altruistic behavior is very rare and almost unseen. You two, along with Dr. Daniel Jackson and the Jaffa Teal'c, have been part of extremely important changes. You have even saved the Asgard from their eminent enemy, the Replicators. The surrender of your child to the Alliance is a sacrifice for all four of you. It must be done."

Sam's blue eyes disappeared behind her eyelids, as she remained on the floor crying in silence. When she opened them again to look at Jack, her heart stopped as her eyes met his and he leapt from the bed instantaneously and ran to where she was.

"**SAM**?" he yelled as he pulled her into a tight and loving embrace.

TBC…..


	5. Chapter 5

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 5

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

A/N: I've been having a lot of internet problems at home, but finally here is chapter five. Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and for all the support I've gotten with this story. You guys are great!

-------------------------

The couple joined in a tight embrace for a long time, as Jack kissed her hair, her face and her mouth desperately, making sure she was real. Sam's tears stopped as she actually felt a smile grow in her face.

Suddenly, a bright light shinned above, and they found themselves in the room where Sam had initially awoken. Without breaking the contact of their bodies, Jack looked around searching for their captors, but found no one but them in the eternal white area. Just then, he met her blue, watery eyes and smiled weakly, as he brought her face to him and kissed her forehead with all the tenderness he could.

"I love you, no matter what." He whispered.

An ocean of thoughts flowed through her mind, as she realized there was really no easy way out of their situation. She felt scared, trapped, hopeless, but a bit of confidence arose knowing that Jack was there with her. With a brief pull on her end, she ran her fingers through his silver hair and closed her eyes again, as new tears began to gather.

"Shush… It's o.k." He consoled her, as he hugged her once again and rocked her in his strong arms. "We'll be fine, I know it."

She rested in his chest for a long while, inevitably falling asleep against him.

Hours later, Sam opened her eyes abruptly hoping the last couple of days had only been a horrific nightmare. Her heart sunk when she found Jack sitting against the wall beside her, his arm encircling her shoulder and the white room drowning them in the dreadful reality.

Brown eyes opened seconds later, focusing their gaze on the woman cuddled against him. "You're here. I'm here…Oh, thank God." He said, as she turned her face to meet his eyes.

"Jack, I have to tell you…" Her voice was trembling and insecure. It was filled with such deep sadness and sorrow, that his own fear resurfaced because it was something he had never experienced seeing coming from his Carter.

"I know." His kiss interrupted her words, and she held his lips prisoners to ensure he was actually there.

"The baby?" She asked, wanting to confirm they were actually referring to the same thing.

"Yes." A smile appeared on his face then, managing to shine some happiness back into both their hearts. "Odd way to spread the news, y'know. Next time, maybe you can turn Goa'uld and scare the crap out of me! That would probably top this one."

A joke. It was a unique, Jack O'Neill joke, just for her. Like always, achieving the goal to make her feel better, at least a little.

She sniffed and cleared the tears from her eyes while smiling. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

"Are you o.k.?" Jack asked her, after another soft kiss.

"Yes."

"Did you see this guys? The Furling creatures?"

"Yes. Wait, how do you know they are the ones who took me?"

"Thor paid us a little visit,"

She nodded and lowered her eyes. "I see," Then, she looked up at him again. "Yeah, the Furlings…"

"Are they cute and fuzzy? Like the Ewoks?" There was actual curiosity in Jack's voice, like a small child asking his mom if Santa Clouse had eaten the cookies and drank the milk after Christmas.

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head, her smile actually growing. "No, not fuzzy. They seemed pretty human-like to me."

"Really?" Jack was disappointed. "Damn! There goes my plan of convincing the fuzzy thingies to forget about keeping our kid. I doubt they would if they were cute-looking."

"Jack…" Sam started, but he brought her closer, tightening his arm around her.

"I know. It'll be harder than that. But I don't care, Sam. We're getting out of here, all three of us."

He sounded so sure and so determined, that she couldn't find the words to explain to him her own loss of hope and the enormity of the responsibility they carried. She took a deep breath and kissed the hand that held her shoulder. "No, Jack. This time is different."

"Whadda ya mean?"

"We may not have a choice." Her soft and defeated voice came.

"I'm sorry? No choice? I thought I was the pessimistic in this relationship," He searched her eyes, finding them filled with grief and desolation. "There's always a choice, Sam. They can't use us for their little game of the superior races of the universe! I've told Thor, they can choose someone else to fill the spot."

"It's not that simple, Jack!" She argued, as she felt his arm tense around her. "Only the Humans can be the fifth race."

In his own struggle to remain calm and listen to her, he had moved from the wall to face her. "And I suppose the Furling guys told you this?"

"Yes. A woman named Mili'ah took me to you and explained why they are doing this."

He waited for her to continue, but her gaze had traveled to her feet. "Well, why?" He asked, impatiently.

"Because of what we have done. As SG-1, I mean. Apparently, they have known about this day for a very long time and this woman has followed me from the beginning."

"That's creepy."

"Jack, please." She asked in a serious tone, as he rolled his eyes and looked at her. "She said that if we don't sacrifice our baby, the humans will not join the race alliance and they will not be able to complete the circle to combine all the race's powers and end all the evil domination in the Universe."

Jack's eyebrows rose to an impossible high. "Meaning, the Ori and all the other bands of bad guys?"

"Yeah."

He breathed, thinking if they had ever encountered such a bad situation before. He thought this had to be the worse it could get. "Why our baby?" He finally asked.

"Because it has to be a sacrifice for both of us, and Daniel and Teal'c."

Jack stood up, running his hands through his face and passing though the room. "Did this Milan lady mention a superior? Maybe I could talk to him or her, to let us sacrifice something else. I mean, what is this? Abraham's re-make?"

In complete silence, Sam walked to him and buried her face in his neck. "What are we going to do, Jack?"

He caressed her hair and kissed the top of her head as he hugged her closer. "I don't know, Sam. I don't know."

--------------------------

"Jack?" Daniel called as he walked inside Sam's house, turning on the foyer's light. He noticed a light coming from her bedroom, so he headed there, expecting to find Jack passed out on the bed. After searching the master bathroom and gazing at the empty bed again, he noticed a white box lying on it. Closing his eyes at the realization of what it contained, he took it and placed it on his pocket.

Daniel searched the house twice, making sure Jack was not, somehow, hiding in his loneliness. He took his cell phone from his coat's pocket and dialed.

"Mitchell."

"Hey. He's not in Sam's house." Daniel said.

"I was about to call you, Jackson. We got a message from the Asgaard,"

After a pause, Daniel left the house and got in his car. "What, Mitchell?" he said in desperation.

"The Furlings have General O'Neill, too."

--------------------------

General Landry stormed out of his office, his face the clear expression of someone about to reveal very bad news. He sat on his chair and looked at Daniel, Mitchell and Teal'c before running his hands through his face.

"The President has announced we must go through with the Alliance." He finally said.

"What?" Daniel asked, his own rage overcoming him.

"Are they willing to sacrifice the child, General?" Said Teal'c.

Landry swallowed hard in embarrassment for his superior's decision. "Yes."

"Of course they are," Daniel declared, shacking his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Yeah, me neither." Mitchell continued. "So, what is the good President and the join chiefs suggesting, sir? That we let Sam and O'Neill fight their own impossible battle while captured?" Came his sarcastic question.

Landry gazed at Mitchell, as his own disagreement with the decision was evident. "Believe me, Colonel. I'm not happy about this either. But I don't know what else we can do."

"We go look for them and bring them back!" Mitchell yelled. "Sir."

Eyes traveled through the table, while a silence invaded the room.

"Even if we find them, they can obviously take Sam again whenever they want, Mitchell." Daniel finally said.

"You have to understand, this alliance is too important. It could be the answer to the question we've asked ourselves since we discovered the Stargate. We could end this war once and for all. Save millions and billions of lives." Landry continued, his eyes focused on his hands. "I hate this sacrifice thing just as much as you do, but…"

"No sir. With all due respect, I don't think you do." Daniel contoured. "We are not only talking about sacrificing an innocent baby's life; we would also kill Jack and Sam." Daniel looked at Teal'c, both men drowned in sadness. "And along with them, Teal'c and me. These races know us too well, know the bond that ties us, and understand what has made us so special throughout the years. We do NOT LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND." He looked at Landry with determination. "Thus, the sacrifice."

"Yes, Dr. Jackson, I know…"

"Again, sir. I don't think you do. What good would an alliance be, you know, us standing there representing Humans as a race, if we are willing to give up on what makes us human?" Daniel stood up and approached the window that faced the Stargate. "Our capability to feel overwhelming emotions, to make mistakes and stand up again, to have childish dreams of better days to come, and wonders to be discovered; to create something, no matter how little, and strive our entire lives to make it big; to enjoy and have our breath-taken by the beauty of a sunset, or a sunrise; we can learn to love those who have hurt us, and we have the ability to forgive and forget if we choose to." Then, Daniel turned to look at the people at the table, all eyes watching him and listening to him carefully. "These races know that the sacrifice they are asking from us, is in fact the biggest one a human can do. A mother and a father's love for their child. They also know, this mother and this father are special; Jack…" Daniel cleared his throat and shot his eyes to block his tears. "Jack lost his son. He was suicidal when I met him! I swear to you, if Jack looses another kid, he will die. He will not give it up, no matter what; you might as well shoot him. Sam knows this, and she will die first too. She will not give up her baby. And believe me, nobody understands what this alliance means better than those two! That is why they were put in this situation." The archeologist turned to face the Stargate once again. "And, I will not give up on neither one of them. No matter what." Turning and walking to his chair, Daniel stood behind it and looked at the General. "Sir, I am sorry to say that I prefer to die as a human, than to live the rest of my days knowing I gave up on exactly that to be part of the great four races. I don't care how important it is."

"As will I, GeneralLandry." Teal'c said as he stood up and walked to the exit with Daniel.

Landry watched the pair leave and turned to Mitchell. "He's not even human!"

"I think he is more human that most people I know, sir." Mitchell said and stood up as he followed the two.

TBC……….


	6. Chapter 6

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 6

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

A/N: Well, here is when the story starts to unravel. Thank you all for your feedback and wonderful, wonderful comments! I am really glad I decided to go on with this story.

---------------------------

A soft, happy laughter came from outside the cabin, and Sam's face lit up. She looked from the porch and glanced at the figures of the tall gray-haired man, and the small girl he held in his arms. The soft curls of her blonde hair flowed freely, as her father lifted her up in the air. He hugged and kissed her lovingly as she landed in his arms once again, and then repeated the game per the girl's request. Sam climbed down the few stairs and slowly walked towards her family, when a sudden bright light appeared, taking her daughter from Jack's arms.

"NOOOOO!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, and she ran as fast as she could to reach her husband, who held her as they both cried for their lost daughter.

"Sam, Sam!" Jack called, as he shook her from her nightmare.

She opened her eyes, and inevitable tears began to fall from her blue eyes. Jack brought her closer to him, and kissed her forehead, as he rocked her to calm her down.

"We can't let them take her, Jack," she said between quiet sobs.

He pulled back a little to look at her face, his eyebrows rising. "Her?"

She nodded. "I don't know why, but I know."

He didn't ask further, just pulled her against him again. "They're not taking her, Sam. I promise."

"How can you promise me that, Jack?"

His eyes locked with hers, and after brushing a strand of hair from her face, he framed her face with both hands. "Because they'll have to kill me first."

Seeing the determination in his face and the seriousness of his voice, Sam framed his face as well. "No, nobody will die. You hear me? There has to be a way. You said it yourself, there is always another choice."

The room was brighter once again, and Mili'ah appeared just a few feet from where Sam and Jack were.

Sam stood up and approached her, challenging and menacing. "You listen to me, I've had it with your soft and innocent apparitions where you tell me how and when you've decided the fate of us all. I need to speak to someone with the authority and the knowledge to come to an agreement between us."

"I am taking you there in a few moments, Samantha," the other replied, calmly and smiling.

Jack stood beside Sam and watched the other woman with great curiosity. "Are you a Furling?"

Mili'ah grinned and gazed at Jack. "Yes, Jack. I am. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Uh, I don't think I can say the same… no offense." He then studied her from head to toe and looked at Sam as he raised his eyebrows. "Is this how you really look, or is it a costume to not scare the hell out of us?"

"Jack!" Sam said, surprised by his sudden comment.

"What? I don't buy for a second she looks like this on her better days."

The beautiful woman before them widened her smile. "You are correct, Jack. This is not my original form; we change the way we appear to others, depending on how we believe they will be most comfortable. Humans are usually uncomfortable with the unknown and the unfamiliar."

"So, are you fuzzy and cute?" Jack continued, with a spark in his eyes.

Sam gazed at him in disbelief. Seriously, he could not still insist on the appearance of these aliens! "Jack, that's enough of that! What difference does it make how they look?" she said as she continued to lose her patience.

"You are mistaken, Samantha. Jack is correct, it does matter." She watched him carefully, her smile disappearing from her lips. "I was told you were quite inquisitive, and now I see why."

The pair remained silent while the woman took a few steps back. "As for… fuzzy and cute, Jack, I am unsure as to how to respond. I never really thought of myself as cute, really." Then, she vanished along with the beam of light.

Sam rolled her eyes and screamed, "ARGGH!"

Jack turned to her and tried to touch her shoulder, but she moved from his hand. "Now she left! I was getting to something, she was taking us to her superiors, and you pushed her buttons, Jack!"

With a quick raise of eyebrows and a smirk, he watched as Sam covered her face with both hands and began to laugh. "What's so funny?" he asked her.

Laughing for a while, she fell to the floor and sat against a wall. Jack's confused eyes searched for hers, as she finally returned his gaze and she extended her hands to his. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Huh?" Now he really was confused.

"I'm sorry. Two years of not being your Second in Command in the field, and I forget your strategies. I'm sorry I questioned you."

"Huh?" He sat by her, still looking at her with bewildered eyes.

"You surprised her, Jack. You remained calm and you turned it around. I had not been able to do that with her, so far."

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't plan it? No strategy there at all."

She smiled and kissed his hands. "For some strange reason, I think we're gonna be ok. For the first time since they took me, I saw this being as someone we can reason with. You did that, I just can't explain how you do it every time."

"Sam, you're over-thinking what I did…which, if I remember correctly, was simply ask if they were fuzzy and cute. What can I say, it's been bothering me!" he said in the most innocent of tones.

"Yes, Jack. I know," she finished with a smile.

The beam of light appeared around them, transporting them to their next destination. They instinctively hugged each other in the process.

------------------------------

Jack's mouth dropped open as he looked at his surroundings. It had to be his cabin! But, why? These aliens had a way to look into their subconscious and that was something he absolutely hated. It reminded him of the human Replicators. He was relieved that Sam was still beside him, staring at the now familiar house in Northern Minnesota.

"I'm assuming they'll make their grand entrance shortly, huh?" Jack told her as she sat on one of the entrance's steps.

"I guess." She placed her hand on her stomach.

Jack saw this and walked closer to kneel in front of her, concerned. "You ok.?"

She nodded and smiled weakly.

"I swear, if they hurt you…"

"Jack, I'm fine. Just…tired, I think," she assured him. "We need a plan."

Sitting beside her on another step, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Another sacrifice?"

She didn't respond, simple shrugged.

"How about no sacrifice at all? Just… a contract, or something!"

"I'm afraid they won't go for that."

"I just don't understand, why the dramatic initiation? Can't it just be an agreement between five," he gestured quotation marks in the air, "_Advanced_ races?"

She giggled softly then. "We'll have to ask them that, I think."

His brown eyes looked at her blue ones and he leaned over to kiss her lips softly. "If a sacrifice is required, I want you to know…"

"Jack, no. I already told you..."

"Listen to me. You can't die. Fortunately for both of us, our kid is inside you. But me…"

"Jack, NO!" she insisted, scared that she knew what he was willing to do.

"Think back when we were commanding officer and second in command. We had to think with a cool head, make decisions. This is no different than that."

"Yes, it is! What are you talking about, Jack? We're not talking about an alien ambush, or killing the Jaffa that are after us. We're talking about us…. our family!"

Jack lowered his head, looking down to his feet. He shook his head and closed his eyes. "No, Sam. I hoped you knew me by now. I will not let _you_ give up."

"I'm not saying I will! God, Jack! How can you make me choose?"

"They won't give us any other choices."

"You don't know that!"

"No, but I have my suspicions."

"So what's the choice?"

"I stay as the sacrifice."

"No," she yelled, determined.

"Well, then all the years we've spent fighting the bad guys will be for nothing!"

She dropped her head between her shoulders, shaking it and running her hands through her hair. "I need you, Jack. WE need you. Please don't give yourself up."

He turned to her, as he met her pleading eyes. "Sam."

"Jack. We're in this together. That's the only choice I'll give them. What good would it be to be part of this alliance if you give up on us or I give up on you? I don't care if we only get a little time before the Ori or anyone else, come to Earth. At least, we'll be together."

After being quiet for a while, Jack stood up and took her hands, helping her rise with him. "Alright. Then it's decided: No sacrifice, or no alliance."

She smiled and met his mouth for a long and passionate kiss. After they came apart, she hugged him and whispered in his ear, "I love you."

"I love you," he replied.

Watching the couple from a distance, Mili'ah was joined by the young handsome man, Thor and Lya.

"It is time," said the small Nox woman.

------------------------


	7. Chapter 7

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 7

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

A/N: Well, it looks like I will not be able to finish the story before episode "200" airs in the U.S, which was my initial goal. The main reason is that my husband and I have recently found out we will be having our first baby! We are very excited , and the happy news have kept me very busy and very sick. So, I haven't had much time and energy to write as much as I would want to. But, I promise I will finish it because I am very happy about the direction I have chosen to take with it, and very encouraged by all your wonderful reviews. I don't have enough words to thank you for taking the time to send me your thoughts and for liking the story to much! I will say it once again... THANK YOU.

---------------------

As he nuzzled his face in Sam's neck, Jack saw the four figures not too far from where they stood. "I think they're here. All the usual suspects."

She pulled away from his chest and looked back, watching as Mili'ah, Thor, Lya and the young man came closer. "Who is the man with them? I remember him from before…"

"Greetings," said Thor.

Jack frowned, his expression darkening and his eyes glazed with anger. "Not really. We know what you want, and it ain't gonna happen."

"Jack, you are the strongest warrior the Tauri possess, we expect you to put up a fight for this," Mili'ah said calmly.

"First of all…" he trailed off, searching for a name as he looked at Sam.

"Mili'ah," Sam completed.

"I am NOT the strongest of the _Tauri_, Mili'ah."

The four creatures looked at each other and then at Jack again. Their gaze focused on Sam afterwards, as she looked at Jack.

"No, you're right, Samantha Carter is," Lya said with a soft smile.

Jack raised his eyebrows and turned to Sam who was smirking. "Yeah, you are right, my friend. She is." He brought Sam closer to him and approached the figures ahead. "So, can we talk about this? Give you some options and tell you what we decided?"

"We already know how you feel and what you will and will not do, O'Neill," Thor said as they walked towards the dock by the small pond.

"Good! So you know there will be NO human sacrifice, and especially, no BABY sacrifice today."

The aliens looked at each other and nodded silently. Then, their eyes turned to the two humans in front of them.

"I am sorry, but it is the only way," the young handsome man continued.

"And you are?" Jack asked him.

"My name is Silon, I am representing the Ancients."

"Ah," Jack said as he looked at Sam from the corner of his eye.

"There has to be another choice, there always is!" Sam said to the group. Then, she turned her attention to their petite Nox friend. "Lya, we know this is not the Nox's way. How can you agree to this sacrifice?"

Lya looked at Sam for a moment, puzzled. "I do not understand what you mean, Samantha."

"What she means is, we know how you feel about killing and stuff… How can you think this is right? And how can you be part of this?" Jack continued before Sam could.

Lya questioned her companions with her eyes and they all remained quiet for a moment, until Thor interjected. "I believe O'Neill and Samantha Carter do not understand the magnitude of the Alliance or how it will be done."

Jack shut his eyes and took a very deep breath, while approaching the group. "Alright, that's enough! I've had it with the word games goin' on here, Thor." He turned to Sam, "Sam does understand how importance your little Alliance is, and so do I. But you wanna hear the truth? WE DON'T CARE! And neither does our government!"

"I believe you are mistaken, O'Neill," said Silon. "We are aware your government has approved the conditions for the alliance."

Sam and Jack paled and look at each other. "Of course, they have," Jack said finally, in a soft and disappointed voice.

Lya, who had observed the pain of the two Tauri friends, approached Sam and took her hand in hers. "Do you believe we will harm your child?"

"You plan on taking him away from us, so, yeah, I think you want to harm him, and us," Sam said, determined.

Lya shook her head and closed her eyes in sadness. "Oh dear, that is not what will happen Samantha. We are not keeping your baby."

At this, Sam and Jack exchanged looks again in confusion. "What do you mean? Thor said…" Jack began, but was interrupted by Thor.

"I said we had to ensure the child is born, when you asked what would become of the child, your anger overtook your control and you did not allow me to explain," Thor said.

"You said the baby would stay as the symbol!" Jack cried as his arms moved around the air.

"Yes, the child will always be the symbol, but for no reason would we keep it," Thor looked at the four aliens by his side. "None of us know how to care for a human child, only the parents do."

"So, what do you want? What do we have to do?" Sam asked, still confused.

"Like said before, we want to ensure the baby is born so the Alliance can take place," Silon explained.

"Well, we can take care of that ourselves, thank you very much. Why kidnap Sam? Y'know, she could've lost the baby for your stupid actions!" Jack continued, angry and defensive as he paced across the deck to stand by Sam's side. "See, I don't get it. You all proclaim to be the major races of the Universe and have all this power and technology at your disposal to help us, but when it comes down to it, you do NOTHING! Only when it's in YOUR agenda, you appear and do whatever you goddamn want!" He looked at Sam, who was gazing at him with great attention and agreement. "We've spent 10 years fighting and many have lost their lives. How many times did we ask for you help, and nothing." Jack then turned to the young man and stood in front of him. "You, for example: the Ancient. When we thought we finally got rid of the pesky snakes, then came the Ori… trying to take over with your wonderful ascended existence. We can't kill them, we can't fight them. But, of course, you know this, and still, stand by and watch." He rubbed his temple and ran his hands through his hair.

"You can kill them, O'Neill. Samantha Carter made the weapons work," Silon added, amazingly calmed and satisfied.

"What?" Sam asked. "The… the weapons worked?"

"Yes, you activated them correctly and effectively stopped the invasion of the planet and of Earth," Mili'ah said with a proud voice.

"She made it work while she risked her life!" Jack replied, yelling.

"O'Neill, you must understand, we cannot interfere with all your battles. You must learn to fight your own," Milia'h said.

"Don't you tell me now about learning to fight our own battles, that's what we've done all our lives! And, we've even saved your butts a couple of times," he said to Thor. "I'm sure, if we could, we would save yours," he said to the other aliens. "I've had enough. If we are entering this Alliance, then we get FULL disclosure of everything: weapons, technology, bad guys, current and future ones. No surprises allowed."

"Fine," said Lya with a smile. "All that and more comes with the alliance. But you must learn new ways, too, O'Neill."

"New ways as in…" Jack said as he raised his eyebrows.

"As in being more patient," Milia'h continued with an almost humorous tone.

"That's impossible," Sam said as she contained a smile herself.

Jack looked at Sam, almost hurt by her words. "What? I can be patient!"

"Yeah, sure you can," she declared.

"Patronizing, Carter… Patronizing," he warned her.

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So, back to this alliance… What next? Are you going to let us go?"

"Yes, Samantha. You and O'Neill are back in your dimension. Look around you, this place is real. We wanted to make you two aware of the Alliance first before new proceedings were required. You both will receive more information in a few days as to what will be needed from your end, as well as, ours. I apologize if we scared you or harmed you emotionally in any way. But please understand, it was the only way to make you understand how important this is and how only you can make this new alliance happen."

"Y'know, I find that hard to believe Mili'ah. You could've stopped by the SGC and explained this without kidnappings and sacrifice threats," Jack continued with a distrustful tone in his voice.

Milia'h shook her head at Jack's words. "No, O'Neill, unfortunately, this is how it had to be done. It has been for many, many years. This, as well, is one thing you must learn. Do not question our ways, we will not question yours."

And with that, the group of aliens disappeared with the familiar bright white light. Jack was left with his mouth open and Sam watched as the forms vanished from sight. She then turned to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You don't trust them, do you?"

"No, I don't. There's gotta be something else. It's too easy, Sam," he told her.

"Well, to be honest, I thought the whole sacrifice thing was outrageous. None of these races would make us do something like that."

Jack looked at her for a moment and narrowed his eyes. "You believe them."

"Why would they lie?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't they? They just let us go that easy? After all that planning and effort, they just drop us off at my cabin?" He ran his hands through his hair again. "It doesn't add up."

"So what?" Sam asked as he started walking towards the front door of the small house.

"So, we find out what the heck is going on!" He entered the house, closely followed by Sam.

TBC…….


	8. Chapter 8

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 8

For disclaimer and other information, please see chapter one.

A/N: The first thing I want to say is a BIG, HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have sent me your best wishes for my baby. You guys are wonderful, thank you for your support!

Now, here is the next chapter, I am very sorry it is taking so long to update, but I am doing all my best to finish this story for all of us! Have fun!

-----------------------

Jack paced through his cabin's living room, while Sam on the couch and drank from a bottle of water. Their gazes met and he approached her, sitting beside her.

"What if this is not the real reason they took you?" he told her in an intimate tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what if they had to take you in order to contact us? Y'know, an excuse."

Sam shook her head and leaned back to rest fully on the couch. "That doesn't sound strange at all."

He nodded and raised his eyebrows.

She thought quietly for a moment, looking away from him, until finally she turned her blue eyes to his brown ones. "Jack, did Thor say or give you anything when he went to the SGC?"

Jack frowned and then remembered the contents of his pocket. He searched for it and handed it to her.

"A communication device," she said, as she looked at the object in her hand.

"Why would he give me that and not say anything about it?"

"Maybe he wants us to contact him privately?" she guessed.

"Maybe, and that verifies my suspicions. They didn't take us for that Alliance, they took us for something much bigger. I'm telling you, Sam, this smells bad. Ori bad."

They looked at each other in silence for a long time.

------------------------------

"DanielJackson, GeneralLandry is searching for you. He appears desperate," Teal'c said, as he found his friend in Sam's lab.

Daniel frowned. "Desperate?"

"Indeed," he paused, assuring he had the other's full attention, "It appears that the Stargate is gone."

"GONE?" the archeologist echoed, as he jumped from the stool and started out of the lab with Teal'c by his side.

The Jaffa nodded and bowed his head. "ColonelMitchell and GeneralLandry are in the briefing room awaiting our arrival."

The two men's eyes met in terror as past experiences played in their minds. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

As they walked up the stairs, they heard the unmistakable voice of the general talking on the phone… Actually, yelling on the phone.

Daniel found Mitchell and Vala staring blankly at the window of the Commander's office.

The dark-haired woman turned as she noticed the entrance of the two men, and she smiled faintly at both of them.

"Rough week, huh?" she asked Daniel in a soft voice.

He looked at her dryly and raised his eyebrows. "When did you get back?"

"This morning," she responded. "I, um… I tried with all my old contacts and had no luck finding them, Daniel. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Thanks for trying." He walked to the window that faced the Gate Room and took off his glasses as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So, no Stargate now, huh? What else could happen to us, I wonder?"

"Jackson, this has happened before. I'm sure it's just…"

"Just what, Mitchell?" Daniel asked, abruptly interrupting him. "Baal? The Trust? The Russians? Whom?"

"Look, I know how this seems. It gets worse and worse, but I'm sure it's been this bad before," Mitchell argued as he approached the archeologist.

"No, Mitchell! It's never been this bad! Usually, we know where our people are, or have a slight idea. Now we can't even search for them anymore! How many teams are stranded off world?"

"Five," General Landry responded as he made his way into the room and stood behind his chair at the table. The older man took a deep breath and looked sharply at the group. "Get ready for the latest… the Asgard took our Stargate."

-----------------------------

Sam stared at the white rock in her hand, not willing to make it work.

"What are you waiting for?" Jack asked her.

"I don't know, Jack. Maybe we shouldn't… What if it's a trap?"

"Thor? C'mon Sam! I mean, the gray creature is weird and all, but he wouldn't set us up."

"How can you be so sure? I thought you didn't trust them."

Jack walked to the door that lead to the back porch of the cabin and sighed. "I don't know anything anymore, Sam!" He turned around and searched her eyes. "What do you suggest we do? We can't contact the SGC, or anyone for that matter… there's no phone here and I don't have my cell with me. Do you?"

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Ah, shit!" He walked towards her and stood inches from her body, looking at her in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, o.k.? I'm sorry. I'm just… I can't believe any of this! When did our lives get so goddamn complicated?"

A small laugh escaped her mouth as their gazes met. "When we started going through the Stargate ten years ago?"

"Yeah." His fingers found her hair and he caressed it tenderly. "I told ya, this'll never end."

"No, Jack. You won't start with that now. Contacting Thor is the only way we'll find out what is really going on. What else can we do? Run out of here and escape?" She looked at him again and smiled. "We both know we love all this too much. We can't stay away."

Exchanging another glance, he nodded and kissed her forehead. "Fine, go for it. Gotta save the universe again, right?"

She rubbed the rock, and soon enough, they were both transported by a white beam of light.

-------------------------

"The Asgard?" Daniel asked the general in complete shock.

"Yes, Dr. Jackson. I just received a message from Thor," Landry replied without looking at him.

"But… why? That doesn't make ANY sense!" Daniel continued.

General Landry raised his head and met the archeologist questioning eyes, his own reflecting confusion as well. "Because of the Alliance. We are not allowed to go on any missions or visit any planets until the Alliance is formed."

"So, they took our stargate? What gives them that right?" Mitchell interjected.

"The fact that they have the technology to do so, Colonel," Landry responded with a weary gaze.

"This is ridiculous! I can't believe how this gets worse and worse by the minute," Daniel said angrily. "Did Thor happen to mention Jack and Sam by any chance, sir?"

The SGC leader shook his head regretfully. "No, I'm afraid he had nothing to say after he explained why they took the Stargate. I'm sorry, but we're going to have to trust them on this."

Daniel let out a sarcastic laugh and looked at Teal'c, who remained stoic but pensive. "Yeah, right." And with that, he turned around and walked down the stairs and out of the room.

-----------------------

"Thor? Thor!" Jack yelled as he and Sam landed on what appeared to be Thor's ship. "I know you're here, and you know WE are here."

Minutes passed, but there was no answer and no little gray alien in site. "Jack, I don't like this," Sam said as she searched the ship with him. "What if…"

Just as she started speaking, Thor stood in front of them. "Greetings."

"Ah… Thor, buddy, we were looking for you," Jack said, sighing in relief.

"I am aware, O'Neill. I see you found the transportation device," Thor said to his human friend.

"Yeah, we did," Sam answered, as she handed him the white rock she held in her right hand. "What's going on, Thor? Why did you give it to Jack?"

"Because I needed to bring you here without the Furlings or the Ancients knowing," the small creature replied calmly.

Jack and Sam looked at each other and then at their friend. "How? I mean, don't they kinda know it all and stuff?" Jack asked.

"No. The sensors they use to track you two are currently indicating you are still at the cabin."

"Why then do you not want them to know you're talking to us?" Sam questioned.

"Because you need to know the truth, Colonel Carter. I am sorry about all you have been through, especially knowing you will soon be a mother. I, in behalf of all the Asgard, apologize sincerely," Thor looked at Jack then. "To both of you."

Sam raised her eyebrows and so did Jack. "Alright, apology accepted," Jack replied with a smile. Then, he kneeled down in front of Thor to be closer to his height. "What the hell is going on, Thor?"

"Your baby is still in danger. But not because of the Alliance, but because of your enemies."

Sam gazed at Jack, and kneeled with him in front of Thor. "The Ori?"

"Yes. And the Goa'uld, as well. We had to create a diversion in order to bring you here and stop this tragedy from happening," Thor confessed.

"So… there is no Alliance or great weapon to destroy the bad guys, huh?" Jack said, disappointed.

"No, O'Neill, there is. You will become the Fifth race and your child will be the symbol of the Alliance, that was all true. The lie was the sacrifice, we needed to know what your people were willing to do, but most importantly, what you and Colonel Carter would choose as well."

"What did you think we were gonna do, Thor? Honestly! Do you know us, at all?" Jack yelled in disbelief.

Sam looked at Jack for a moment and then she turned her attention to Thor. "So, are they trying to kill me?"

"Yes, Colonel Carter. They know the baby is important and that he will be protected by the four races."

"How did they know about the baby?" Jack continued.

Thor looked down to his feet and then walked towards one of the monitors across the room. "Because they were monitoring me and the others. Somehow, they have been for a while."

"And how did you know there were on to you?" Jack asked.

"Because they could have invaded Earth a long time ago. They were waiting for Colonel Carter to try the weapons so she could be captured." Thor activated the machine and played for them what had happened the day Sam was taken.

"So it was all a trap?" Sam asked fearful after watching the images on the screen. "A trap to kill me?"

"They were not going to kill you then, Colonel Carter. They were counting on O'Neill to rescue you and then, they would have killed you both, ruling out all chances of any more children from the two of you."

Sam was astonished. She stood up and walked around the room, as Jack watched her with the same uneasy feeling. "Why did you wait until that moment to take me, Thor? And why the lie?" she finally asked as she turned to the Asgard being.

"Because we had to wait until you knew about your pregnancy. We cannot interfere or tell you about the future, I am aware you understand why."

"You could've taken her from her house! What if the Ori got to her first?" Jack said as he approached Sam and took her hand in his.

Thor shook his head again. "I am afraid that was not possible either, O'Neill. Events had to unfold that way, so that the Ori would actually be stopped by the weapons. We had to take the risk, and I was sure based on Colonel Carter's intelligence and audacity, she would make them work," Thor said, with a proud tone in his voice. "Even though they were not killed, it gave us the advantage we needed to proceed with our plan."

"Which was, kidnapping her, almost killing me of a heart attack…or two, and then stranding us in my cabin. Great plan, Thor!" Jack said with thumbs up and a wink.

"Again, I am sorry, O'Neill, but it was the only way to bring you here without raising any suspicions from the Goa'uld or the Ori."

"So they don't know you have us?" Sam asked.

"They suspect, but they are unable to locate our position," Thor responded.

"You said you had to talk to us without the others knowing. Why can't the Furlings and the all the other buddies know you're telling us all this?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Because I believe you and Colonel Carter can do much more from here than at your cabin, while the rest of your planet is destroyed."

"WHAT?" Sam and Jack screamed in unison.

TBC….


	9. Chapter 9

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 9

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

A/N: A special thank you to my wonderful beta, Lennie.

I also wanted to thank you all again so much for following the story chapter by chapter and sending me your wonderful thoughts! I can't tell you enough how much this means to me. Thank you, thank you!

And now, on with the chapter. ENJOY!

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"Earth being destroyed? What the hell, Thor?" Jack exclaimed. He was really tired of all the surprises he was getting lately.

"Wouldn't we be killed too if we were at the cabin?" Sam asked, reluctantly.

"No. The cabin you were at is a replica we have created on another planet, here in my home galaxy. I am afraid you were never back on Earth," Thor confessed with multiple blinks.

"Thor!" Jack yelled, very frustrated and trying his best to regain some control. "Take us back, now!" he finally demanded.

"No, O'Neill, not yet. You must help me and convince the others to form the alliance now, so we can stop the invasion of Earth," Thor replied with determination.

"How are we gonna do that if they think we're still at the stupid fake cabin?" Jack said, each time more frustrated.

Thor was quiet for a moment, looking between Jack and Sam. Moments later, he finally sat on his chair and spoke. "I need your approval to do what has to be done."

"Oh, I so knew that was comin'!" Jack cried in desperation. "What is it this time, Thor?"

"I need you to allow me to accelerate the growth of your child. With the prompt birth of your baby, we can initiate the Alliance and stop the attack on Earth and all the other planets in your galaxy," Thor explained, never looking away from Jack.

Sam's mouth and eyes were wide open in disbelief. "What? Accelerate the growth? Thor, you have to be kidding! I don't even think I'm ready to be a mother!" Sam confessed and then turned away from Thor and Jack.

"Sam…" Jack started, but she turned around and with her eyes, stopped his words from coming.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I did need time to get used to the idea that we're going to be parents. Now he wants us to have the baby now?" She shook her head and covered her face with both hands. "Please excuse me, I need a moment alone." Sam glanced at Jack once again and left the room decisively.

Jack watched her leave and closed his eyes as he lowered his head.

"I am sorry, O'Neill, I thought you would be pleased with my plan," Thor said.

Turning to face the gray alien, Jack walked closer to him and kneeled to match his height. "Look, Thor, I found out I was becoming a dad two days ago. From what I can tell, Sam hasn't known for more than a week. She is very early in her pregnancy…"

"Four weeks, four days, and seven hours to be precise," Thor added, interrupting Jack abruptly.

Jack frowned and then raised his eyebrows. "See, that's just weird. And… inappropriate! Why would you know that, Thor?"

"I have been monitoring Colonel Carter for a while, O'Neill. As I said before, I apologize but it was my duty to do so. On behalf of us all."

"Yes, well, that is the problem now, isn't it?" Jack looked at Thor as the creature stared at him confused. "We are not your little lab rats to study and monitor whenever you feel like it. You guys crossed a fine line here, and you're lucky the plan is to save Earth, otherwise, I'd be kicking some major alien butt right now!"

"O'Neill…" Thor began.

"Ah, ah! I don't wanna hear it! Now I need to see how Sam's doin'. I'll be back in a minute. You… stay here." Without hesitating, Jack walked in the direction Sam had gone, leaving Thor sitting alone in the bridge of his ship.

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Daniel paced helplessly through his lab, while Teal'c stood in the threshold in silence.

"Are you alright, Danieljackson?"

The blue-eyed archeologist shook his head and massaged his temple desperately. "No, Teal'c, I'm not. I just wish we could do… something!"

"I believe our duty is to remain here. We should get word soon from the Asgard," the tall Jaffa said.

Daniel looked at Teal'c for a moment. "Teal'c, I think I've had it with this. Why is it that after all we have done for Earth and countless others, we still can't have a normal life? I mean, Sam and Jack shouldn't have to go through this. They should be able to retire, have their kids, live in peace."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow and approached his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I concur, Danieljackson, but life does not always play the way it should. We committed ourselves to fighting this war, and I believe we will not be free until all the battles have been won. Colonelcarter and O'Neill have a great responsibility, but they also have been given a great honor."

"You mean, the Alliance deal?" Daniel asked, not believing what his friend was saying.

"Indeed. I am not in agreement with sacrificing their child, and I will fight for them if necessary, but…"

"The importance of their baby in the greater scheme of things is honorable," Daniel completed for him. "Yes, Teal'c, I see you point."

Both men looked at each other, as a silent understanding was made between them. Later, Teal'c bowed his head and left the other in his lab as he once again, read his notes and books, searching for the location of his lost team mates.

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"Sam? Sam, you in here?" Jack called as he entered one of the many rooms in the Asgard ship.

"Yes, Jack, I'm here," she responded from where she was in front of a large window.

"Ah." Walking slowly, he reached her and stood behind her. "Wanna talk?" he asked hesitantly. Talking was not one of Jack O'Neill's strengths, but he felt it was necessary to resolve the problem they had, starting with knowing how she felt.

"About?" she responded absently, her eyes locked on the view of the stars outside.

"Us, becoming… parents?" Jack said after a pause. Getting no answer from her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her hair lovingly. "Listen, I hate the way this is happening just as much as you do. You know that, don't ya?"

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So… whatever you decide, I support you. No matter what."

Sam turned her face slightly to meet his eyes and smiled softly. "Really?"

"Sure I do! Why wouldn't I?"

"Are you ready for this? I mean, just a couple of weeks ago we were talking about getting married and, if I remember correctly, you almost freaked out on me."

He looked at her, his eyes burning into hers. "Sam, there is no doubt in my mind where and how I want to be with you. The wedding and kids were always part of the plan. I just… I wasn't always sure I deserved you."

"Jack…" she began but was silenced as his lips touched hers gently.

"Sam, after all we've been through, you know I'm sure now."

She smiled again, as she turned fully to stand in front of him. "I just wish our baby could be normal, you know?"

"Really? You do? That would be so boring!"

She giggled against his chest and then raised her face to look at him as he smiled smugly at her. "Our kid can never be normal. Not with a mom who's been host to a Tok'ra, who has saved the world and the universe I may add, God knows how many times, and who blew up a sun, for cryin' out loud!"

She laughed and shook her head, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Or, a dad who has had the Ancient download twice, who has survived not one, but two Goa'uld almost blendings, who aged dramatically within days, who…"

Again, she was silenced by his mouth, as he kissed her soundly. When they both came apart for air, Jack ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. "There ya go, no way in hell our kid would ever be normal. And you know what? I wouldn't want that either, would you?"

"No," she said. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go do this!" She took his hand and walked with him to the bridge where they knew their small friend would be waiting anxiously.

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"Are you ready, Colonelcarter?" Thor asked, as he stood in front of the control panel, only feet away from the crystal capsule where Sam lay.

She looked up, meeting Jack's assuring gaze and smiled. "Yes, Thor, I am."

"O'Neill, please move away from the capsule. The light emanated from it may be harmful to your eyes and skin."

"Harmful to my eyes and skin, but o.k. for the baby and Sam?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"O'Neill, as I explained before, the radiation occurring inside the capsule will not harm them, I assure you. But, the external effects may be irreparable," Thor replied.

"Fine, fine!" Jack walked away, and stood by Thor watching the monitor in front of them, obviously not understanding anything that appeared on it. "Thor, how long is this gonna take?"

"Only a little more time. Afterwards, Colonelcarter will be nine months pregnant and ready to give birth to your child," the alien explained calmly as he concentrated on the monitor.

"Ready to give birth? And I assume you know how to handle a labor, do you?" Jack asked, his eyes wide and his heart pounding.

"I do not, O'Neill. I thought you did." Thor turned to Jack and met his scared and enraged eyes.

"NO, THOR! Why would I know that? What in God's name gave you that stupid idea, for cryin' out loud!" Jack screamed as he paced and shook his head.

Thor was quiet for a moment, until a bright light shone by Jack.

"DANIEL?" Jack called as the figure of his friend appeared by his side.

"Jack?" the other exclaimed, looking between Thor, Jack and the crystal capsule in the distance.

"If I am not mistaken, Doctor Daniel Jackson has experience in the birthing matters," Thor explained to the two astonished men.

"What? Birthing? Huh?" Daniel turned to Jack. "What is he talking about?"

"Thor, why couldn't you just bring us back to Earth?" Jack asked, his anger barely controlled under his breath.

"That is not a possibility, O'Neill. If the Ori or the Goa'uld find you there, there would be no hope. I am sorry, but we are going to have to bring your child here, on board my ship."

"Jack? I thought Sam was just four weeks pregnant! What's going on here?"

"Daniel, she's inside that capsule. We are accelerating the growth of the baby so we can do the Alliance thing now and stop the attack on Earth."

Daniel watched as Jack explained, but his face paled as his words ended. "Accelerate? Alliance? Attack?"

Jack shook his head and turned to Thor. "Listen, Thor, giving birth can be very risky. What if something goes wrong?" he asked, deep concern now replacing his irritation.

"I have brought the necessary supplies. That is all I can do, O'Neill. I am sorry, but this is our only option." After a long pause in which Jack simply stared at Thor, the monitor changed and the capsule opened. "It is done. You can see her now."

Jack blew a long breath and walked helplessly towards Sam, trying to find the way to explain to her how and who would bring their baby to the world… or, to the ship, in their case.

TBC……


	10. Chapter 10

FOR TOMORROW

CHAPTER 10

For disclaimer and other information, please refer to chapter one.

A/N: I am very sorry it has taken me so long to update my story. Pregnancy has been rough and by the time I get home from work, all I want to do is get in bed and sleep. I promise I will do my best to finish this as soon as I can. For now, I hope you enoy this one, I decided to make it short, but I liked it very much! I hope you do too. Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews and wishes.

Enjoy!

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"Sam, Sam…" Jack called as he approached the crystal capsule. Sam opened her eyes slowly, trying to focus on the figure standing by her.

"J-Jack?" she called weakly.

"Yup, it's me. You o.k.?" he asked gently, as his eyes traveled to her now very noticeable stomach. "Wow," he exclaimed and Sam started to sit up as she followed his gaze.

Her hands came to touch her belly and she gasped as she felt a hard kick coming from inside. "Oh. My. God," she said, barely in a whisper.

Jack turned his attention to her face as she blinked repeatedly to mask the tears forming in her eyes. He smiled softly, thinking how similar they both were, not even allowing a moment like this to show their feelings. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders as he helped her up and kissed her gently on the cheek. "You sure you're o.k.?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She shook her head trying to get herself out of the strange fog clouding her mind. "Jack? I'm… feeling… something…" she started but was interrupted by a sharp pain, followed by a loud scream.

Jack felt his heart stop for a moment as she started breathing heavily and looked at him with what he could only describe as fear. "Sam… Thor forgot to mention you are ready to give birth… now," he explained as he wrapped his arm tighter around her and turned to Daniel.

"NOW?" Sam asked, terrified.

"Looks like it," Daniel said as he approached the pair.

"Daniel?" Sam continued, shocked.

"Hey, Sam," the young archeologist said with a smile as he stood by Jack. "Thor brought me to help you with the… delivery," he told her as he exchanged looks with Jack who appeared just as scared as Sam.

"YOU? Why?" She turned to Thor who stood by the controls still. "I mean, no offense Daniel, but… Thor, couldn't you beam a… medical doctor?" she asked as another contraction began.

"My thought exactly!" Jack said as he looked between Thor and Sam with concern.

"I am sorry, Colonel Carter, O'Neill, but I cannot involve anyone else in this. The Alliance can only be witnessed by the four original members of SG-1," Thor said as he too approached the capsule. "Now, I have prepared a room for you, Colonel. I would suggest we head there before your condition escalates."

"Right," Jack said, as he and Daniel helped Sam out of the capsule and inside the room Thor led them to.

Thor had placed a variety of items that appeared to come from the SGC's infirmary on a table close to the small bed in the middle of the large room. Sam turned to look at Jack and her eyes could not hide the horror she was feeling. "Jack, I'm not too sure about this…." She shut her eyes and cringed as another contraction appeared.

Jack was feeling quite useless and he hated that. He knew she was going through a lot of pain but was being the brave soldier she always was. He remembered that when Sara gave birth to Charlie he wasn't around much, simply waited outside the delivery room for the news of the birth of his son. He had not lived any of what he would have to live now, and even though he wanted to, he was scared for Sam and for the baby.

"Jack, we'll be fine," Daniel said as he read his friend's mind. After a small tap on Jack's shoulder, he checked the items on the table and began gathering towels and a bucket. "Thor, we need water."

"Very well, Dr. Jackson," Thor responded and showed him to a room close by that, Daniel assumed, was a kitchen of some kind, a very advanced kitchen.

When Daniel returned, he found Sam breathing hard and Jack sitting with her on the edge of the bed.

"Daniel! Get back here, now!" Jack barked as he saw the other standing in the entrance.

"Whoa, Jack, calm down, I'm here," Daniel started as he approached Sam. He handed Jack a couple of wet, warm towels and a bucket of ice. Now for the first time he began to feel very uncomfortable because of what he was about to ask her. "Sam, never in my life did I think I would ask you to do this, but I need you to… um…" He signaled for her to spread her legs, while he blushed furiously.

"Yes, Daniel! I know what I have to do and what you have to do! Just… please get this baby out of me… please!" she said as she felt a much more painful contraction. She squeezed Jack's hand hard and breathed as it ended.

"O.k.…. Here we go," Daniel said bravely, as he brought a stool to the foot of the bed and began his work.

"No pressure, Daniel, but you better pull this off," Jack warned as Sam freed his bruised hand and he looked at it in pain. "Ow, Sam, this hurts!" he said to her as he shook his hand painfully.

She threw him a dark, menacing glare as the next contraction began.

"Never mind," Jack said apologetically.

--------------------------------------------

Four hours later, Thor heard the loud cry of a human baby and stood from his chair at the controls of the ship. He made his way to the 'delivery room' and walked in as Daniel wrapped the small baby in a white blanket and handed her to Sam.

"I would assume things went well, Dr. Jackson?" the small alien asked discreetly as he stood a few feet from Sam's bed.

"Yes, Thor. Sam and Jack have a beautiful baby girl," Daniel answered, and he watched with watery eyes as the new parents admired the tiny baby in her mom's arms.

Nobody spoke a word for the next couple of minutes, as Daniel and Thor began to walk out of the room to give Sam and Jack some privacy.

"Daniel, wait!" Sam called before he disappeared into the hallway.

"Sam?" Daniel asked.

She smiled. "Thank you, Daniel. I can't think of a better way for our baby to be born."

Daniel smiled back and looked at the now exhausted but deliriously happy Sam Carter. "You're welcome, Sam. Now rest," he finally said as his eyes met hers and then Jack's. With a last nod he lowered his head still smiling and left the pair alone.

Sam looked down once again to meet her daughter's blue eyes. She was beginning to fall asleep, but fought hard to keep her eyes open.

"Well, she definitely takes after you. Look! She refuses to sleep," Jack said with a wide smile as his eyes never left his daughter's face.

Sam turned to look at him and for the first time, let the tears fall down her cheeks. Jack immediately met her gaze and caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. "I love you so much… you know that, don't you?"

She nodded as the tears continued to fall.

"I never thought it would be possible to feel this happy again. Thank you." He leaned forward and captured her lips with his.

When they came apart, they both turned to look at their sleeping baby. Jack moved to lay with Sam in the bed and continued his soft caress of her hair as she closed her eyes, a peaceful smile painted across her face. He looked at her for a long time, with more love than he ever thought was possible and took the baby gently from her embrace. She shifted for a moment and then stilled, falling deeper into her sleep. He stood from the bed and sat in a chair close by, holding their daughter to him, and crying his own silent happy tears as he watched her in awe for what seemed like an eternity. The happiest eternity of his life.

TBC…..


End file.
